Marina Dock Age

Each year two marinas in the United States (one small—fewer than 250 slips and one large—250+ slips) are selected to win. These marinas will have achieved success through exemplary business practices, commitment to customer service, environmental responsibility, and contributions to the marina industry. Winners will be featured in one of our 2011 issues.

Think you or someone you know can be the next Marina of the Year?

Download application today.

2010 Marina of the Year winners

This year’s many outstanding applications for the Marina of the Year award, big and small, made the decision a difficult one, and thank you to all the applicants. Congratulations to Bridge Marina in Lake Hopatcong, N.J., the small category winner, and Seven Points Marina in Hesston, Penn., MDA’s Marina of the Year winner in the large category. Both family-run businesses have spent years serving customers at their inland lakes, perfecting the practices of good hospitality. Our winners are integral parts of their local communities as both a place of social gathering and economic engines for their local tourism industries.

Fewer than 250 slips

Bridge Marina began in the 1950s as a bathing beach and picnic area. Its owners, Spanish immigrants, Carmen, Salustiano and Joseph Fernandez, grew the area into a small marina and sales and service business. Today, third generation family member Ray Fernandez operates the only freshwater Clean Marina in the state and over the last five years has transformed the business into premier, full-service facility, including a service department, boat rentals and boat club.

Bridge Marina considers itself a destination marina with meticulously landscaped grounds, including native plants, gardens and picnic areas. Its four recently refurbished docks offer 96 slips, and its 100-foot fuel dock includes three pumps, a PWC fueling area, and boat-side convenience store. Security cameras throughout the facility and the private, keypad access bathrooms with air conditioning, changing areas and showers, provide customers with an inviting and secure environment.

Bridge Marina takes advantage of its off-season by upgrading and expanding the marina. Since 2006, the marina has expanded the service department facility, upgraded the marine store and administration building, and rebuilt docks to accommodate larger vessels and the expanding needs of its customers, among many other upgrades.

The marina’s engaging and proactive environment is a direct reflection of its owner and operator. Fernandez serves on many community and advocacy groups aimed at growing boating in the area and protecting the environment. The marina hosts networking events for the chamber of commerce, and it has partnered with local government to promote travel and tourism on Lake Hopatcong.

Learn more about Bridge Marina when MDA profiles the facility in the April 2011 issue.

More than 250 slips

With 661 wet slips and 285 dry storage spaces, Seven Points Marina is the largest facility in Pennsylvania. In addition to slip rentals, the facility rents houseboats, pontoons and fishing boats and operates a 70-foot tour boat on the lake.

The Raystown Lake facility began in 1946, when Jim and Peg Filson bought land on what was, at the time, a 10-mile lake and started the first marina there. In the 1960s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expanded the lake and the original marina was moved to Hesston. Still in business nearly 65 years later, the marina, which also includes boat sales and a service department, is still run by second and third generation family members. It operates as an Army Corps concessionaire and has had a waiting list since its inception.

The current marina results from years of upgrades and additions. Seven Points Marina built a dry stack facility and expanded its wet slips, including reconfiguring the docks for larger boats, and redesigned the ship’s store. Most recently, the marina replaced the sea walls and launch ramp. In the future, it hopes to research and design a floating facility for administrative offices and rental center and a restaurant and floating pier.

Its rental fleet of boats serves as a major part of the marina’s business. In 2008 and 2009, it invested $200,000 to upgrade the fleet and continue to grow its share of the rental market.

The social environment of the Seven Points Marina is important to customers, and they have many events at the marina to interact with each other, the staff and the local community.

Learn more about Seven Points Marina in its full cover story in the May/June 2011 issue.